Building Chief Forced Out in El Segundo

After 19 years with the city, Building and Safety Director McKinley (Mac) Dalgleish has been forced to resign by City Manager Nick Romaniello, who cited differences in management philosophy.

It is Romaniello’s first key personnel change since he was appointed city manager by a majority on the City Council that favors tighter controls on growth. Romaniello, former planning director, has taken a hard line with developers, while Dalgleish has been criticized by some council members as being too accommodating to developers. As part of his job, Dalgleish issued building permits.

“It’s my decision that our management styles and management philosophies are such that they will never be in tune with one another,” Romaniello wrote.

Dalgleish said Romaniello gave him the option or resigning or being fired.

Romaniello did not return calls by The Times for comment.

“I was kind of shocked,” Dalgleish said. “He’s never really explained to me what his management philosophy is.”

Dalgleish, 55, said he at first refused to resign and was told by Romaniello that, in that case, he was terminated. When Dalgleish found that he would lose nearly $8,000 in unused sick time and vacation by being fired, he resigned the next day.

Mayor Charles (Chip) Armstrong, who leads the council’s “controlled growth” majority, would not comment on Romaniello’s decision other than to say that “having appointed Nick as city manager, I’m certainly not going to tie his hands now.”

Councilman Jack Siadek said he was “appalled” at the firing.